Some said that “a good quality paint job shouldn't be an extra, it should come standard, metallic or not” and that “if a car has eight colours and six are metallic then asking for dollars for that is a rort”.

Others said that if price was a factor they “wouldn't option it,” or that “If metallic [or] pearlescent does cost them more, maybe buyers should be paying for it”.

A report released by paint producer PPG in October found that silver and black were the most popular car colours for the Asia-Pacific region.